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The Angry Rangel Aide and the Missing Umbrella

Rep. Charlie Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) deputy chief of staff was reportedly freaking out over a missing umbrella last Thursday night amid a Manhattan downpour.

NYP’s Page Six reported Saturday that Rangel’s deputy chief of staff, Geoffrey Eaton, was out at Chez Lucienne restaurant in Harlem last Thursday night and went all haywire when he couldn’t find his umbrella.

So what happened? Well according to Page Six, two witnesses described the scene: “He yelled at everyone, even the customers,” said the manager on duty, who asked not to be named. “We said, ‘We’ll give you another umbrella.’ Other people offered . . . we said, ‘If that’s not enough, we’ll pay for your cab home.'” Another witness said Eaton cussed out the waitstaff.

Police were called to the scene, but not before that rascally umbrella was found in a corner. No charges were filed. Rangel has been mum on the incident except for what he said Friday on Twitter: “I apologize for yesterday’s incident,” Rangel said on Twitter. “I will look into the matter and take appropriate action.”

Eaton has been Rangel’s deputy chief of staff since 2006.

We phoned the congressman’s flack, Hannah Kim, in the Washington office and were directed to her email. We wrote and asked if there was an update from the congressman. We also wondered if the office was chipping in to buy Eaton a proper umbrella, perhaps one in bright red that can be easily found in a hurry.